Barents Sea oil search delivers more gas

Statoil has discovered gas with its latest exploration well in the Barents Sea, on the Kramsnø prospect in PL532.

Feb 20th, 2014

Offshore staff

STAVANGER, Norway – Statoil has discovered gas with its latest exploration well in the Barents Sea, on the Kramsnø prospect in PL532.

The company hoped to prove more oil to supplement its planned 400-600 MMbblJohan Castberg development, taking in the nearby Havis and Skrugard fields.

Since widening its search in 2013, the company has drilled four prospects, with one more to come on the Drivis structure. Only one well so far has found oil.

The semisubmersibleWest Hercules, which drilled the Kramsnø, will also drill Drivis.

The latest well encountered a 130-m (426-ft) gas column in the Stø and Nordmela formations, with poorer than expected reservoir quality. In the Snadd formation, the well intersected a 45-m (148-ft) gross gas column. Water depth was 403 m (1,322 ft).

Statoil said the prospects chosen for the campaign were designed to test different play models in varied geological settings, and were also thought to hold potential to impact the development solution.

“The exploration campaign is serving its purpose of maximizing our knowledge of the area, but has not provided the additional resources we hoped for. This makes it even more important to improve the development concept and reduce investments,” says Erik Strand Tellefsen, vice president field development northern Norway.

Statoil has a 50% interest in PL532, in partnership with Eni Norge (30%) and Petoro (20%).